Billfold



Dec. 1l, 1934.

P; A, GARDNER. JR BILLFOLD Filed Aug. J2, 1952 Patented Dec. 11, 1934 PATENroFi-ICE 'Burrow Prince A. Gardner, Jr., St. Louis, Mo.

Application August 12,

- 1 Claim.

This invention relates to billfolds of the type having means for closing the open sides of the pockets and for holding the billfolds closed or folded. The invention comprises a billfold, or

5 pocket case adapted for many uses, including an outer wall of an elongated pocket having two end portions united by a hinge portion of appropriate length and of less vertical width than the end portions and having its upper edge terminating below the upper edges of the end portions to provide a space'between the upper edges of the end portions of said outer wall; iiexible wallelements forming inwardly open longitudinally spaced pockets in connection with the inner sides of the respective end portions of said outer wall, the inner ends of said iiexible Wall elements being spaced apart a distance at least equal to and preferably greater than the longitudinal length of said hinge portion of said outer wall in order not to interfere with the functioning of said hinge portion irrespective ofthe amount of the contents of any of the pockets of the billfold; and a panel bridging the space between the inner ends of said inwardly open pockets and cooperating with'the walls thereof and with said outer wall to form an elongated pocket, said panel having sliding arrangement in one of said inwardly open pockets so-that buckling or rolling of the panel is prevented irrespective of the amount of con- 30 tents of the billfold.

An object of the invention is to provide a `billfold embodying these features and otherslhereinafter mentioned or otherwise made apparent. Other objects of the invention are to provide a Fig. 4 -is a longitudinal sectional view 4of a portion of the billfold in its open or extended posi- .50 tion and taken approximately on the line lf-4 of Fig. '2. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross sectional view of one end portion-of the bilifoldapproximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2,/ 'I'he outer wall of billfold embodying the foregoing and other ad' the billfold is composed of,-`

1932, Serial No. 628,481

leather, or other appropriate flexible material, and is preferably made of a single piece of said material shaped and formed to provide end portions 1 and 2 connected by a hinge portion 3 of appropriate length to connect the end portions '1 and 2 when they are folded in spaced relationship,

being spaced below the upper edges of said por tions l and 2, thereby providing a space 4 between the adjacent ends of the end portions l and 2 at the upper side of the billfold. This space 4 defines the width ofthe hinge portion 3.

A flexible and pliable lining 5 of the same shape and approximately the same length and width as the outer wall above described is mounted against the inner side of said' outer wall.

An inwardly open pocket having its walls of less length than the length of the wall l and composed of iiexible and pliable material is provided in connection with' the inner side of the end portion 1 of the outer wall. This inwardly open pocket includes an inner wall forming portion 6, an outer wall forming portion 7, both of less vertical width than the vertical width of the wall portion 1 and of greater vertical width than the vertical width of the hinge portion 3. The lower and outerend edges of said wall forming portions 6 and 7 are connected to the lower and outer end edges of the portion l of the outer wall and have their upper edges connected with each other` and unattached to the outer wall.

An inwardly open pocket is provided in connection with the inner side of the wall portion 2, the same comprising a wall portion 8 and a frame or wall portion 9, both of less width than the portion 2 and of greater vertical width than the vertical width of the hinge portion 3 and having their lower and outer edges connected with the lower and outer edges of the portion 2- of the outer wall'and their upper edges connected with each otherand otherwise unattached to any other portion of the billfold.

. Thel inner ends of the walls 6, 7, 8 and 9 do not extend to the hinge portion 3 of the outer wall, so that said hinge portion 3 is free to function without interference orobstruction by these inner pocket forming walls.

A panel `10 in connection with the inner end of one of the inner pocket forming walls and having its upper edge below the upper edges of the walls 6, 7, 8 and 9 extends across the space between said inner pocket forming walls and into the opposite inwardly open pocket terminating short of the outer or bottom end of said opposite inwardly open pocket to provide a free sliding action therein when the billfold is opened and closed irrespective of the amount of contents of the billfold. If the panel 10 is composed of a separate piece of material, it must be characterized by sucient fiexibility and pliability to fold freely with the hinge 3 and has one4 end attached to the inner end of one of the inner pocket forming walls by stitches 11 or other appropriate fastening means. As shown, the stitches 11 attach one end of the panel 10 to the inner end of the wall 8, although the panel 10 may be attached elsewhere, if desired. The opposite end of the panel 1Q is attached to a section 12 of exible and pliable and freely foldable material, such as a textile fabric, by stitches 13, or other appropriate fastening means. IIhe outer end of the section 12 is attached to the outer end of the wall 6.

Sections 14 and 15 of flexible and pliable material are attached to the upper and outer end edges of the wall portions 1 and '2, respectively. These sections 14 and 15 are in the form of elongated tapes and have their inner ends extending into the space 4 and their outer ends extending downwardly along the outer ends of-the portions 1 and 2 of the outer wall. 'I'hese sections 14 and 15 constitute inwardly extended wall elements which extend toward each other beyond the adjacent surfaces of the pocket walls when the billfold is folded or closed and their adjacent edges are provided with interlocking lingers 16 and 17, respectively, which interlock upon a well known principle and mode of operation. A slide 18 is mounted in connection with the two series of iingers 16 and 17 and is movable along said fingers when the billfold is closed or folded in order to interlock the lingers 16 and 17 and to release said fingers. The arrangement is such that when the vlslide 18 is moved to its position in the space 4, the lfingers 16 and 17 are disengaged from each other and the billfold may freely open; and when the slide 18 is moved outwardly along Vthe series of fingers to the position shown in Fig. 3, the iin- 50 gers 16 and 17 are interlocked by such outward movement and remain interlocked until the slide is `moved ,in the opposite direction. The slide is equipped with a pivoted handle member 19 which affords convenient means for operating the slide. The inner edges of the wall members 14 and 15 extend between the lining 5 and'the wall portions 1 and 2. A row' of stitches 20 passes through the lower and outerKS end edges of the outer wall, the lining 5, the wall members 6l and 7 and the wall members 8 and 9 and thereby attach the inner pocket forming walls in proper relationship to each other and to the outer wall. 'Ihe stitches `20 also pass through the outer end of the section -12, `thereby securing the outer end of said section 12 to the outer end of the billfold without interfering with the free sliding action of the panel 10 but preventing said p anel'l from being withdrawn from the pocket in which it extends for,

`'cached to the wall forming portion 6 by stitches 5, thereby fastening these parts securely together. The stitches 21 also extend across the upper marginal portion of the hinge 3. l

The wall portion 9 may be in the form of an open fratrie, as shown, and the .opening in said 5 frame may be closed by a transparent panel 22, so that the contents of the pocket formed by the panel 22 and the wall 8 are partly visible. The non-transparent inner end 23 of the frame 9 covers and conceals the end of the panel 10 and also covers and conceals the stitches 11.

When the billfold is closed, the iexible and pli- -able wall forming members 14 and 15 extend aY substantial distance toward each other and cover and conceal and close the opening to the elongated pocket between the outer wall and its cooperating pocket forming walls. This elongated pocket is designed and adapted to receive and contain articles having a vertical width such that they will not interfere with the operation of the latching and unlatching slide 18.

An additional pocket may be provided in this billfold, if desired. As shown, a wall 24 has its lowe:` and outer end edges engaged by the stitches 20 and its upper marginal portion 25 extended over the connection uniting the wall portions 6 and 7 and downwardly into the'pocket or space between the lining 5 and the wall forming por- Ltion 6. This upper marginal portion may be at- 26, or other appropriate fastening means, substantially below the upper portion ofthe pocket and concealed within the pocket or space between the lining 5 and the wall forming portion 6.

It is clearly apparent that this billfold is well designed and adapted .for application to many uses and tocontain many articles of different types. 'Ihe fastening devices in cooperation with the walls 14 and 15 with which they are'vunite'd provide an effective closure for the bi1lfold,s that it is impossible for the contents of the billfold to work out or for other articles of materials to work into the billfold.

The construction and 'arrangement of the parts may be varied within the scope of equivalent limits without departure from the nature and principle of the invention. I do not restrict myself in any unessential respects, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A device of the character described comprising an outer wall having a transverse foldable portion intermediate of its ends, pocket^walls having their lower and outer edges attached to the lower and outer edges of saidKouter wall respectively and having their inner endsV above said lower edges unattached to said outer wall yand spacedy apart 'an appreciable distance and forming spaced inwardly open pockets, a panel connected with one of said' pocket walls and bridging the space be` tween said respective pocket walls and extending into the opposite pocket and cooperating with said pocket walls and with said outer walls to form an l elongated pocket, wall elements attached to the upper and outer edges of said outer wall'andextending toward each other beyond the adjacent-f surfaces of said pocket walls when said outer wall is folded, and fastening means in connection with the edges of said wall elements for holding said wall elements together whenl said outer wall lis folded.

' PRINCE GARDNER, JR, 

